How do I choose just one?

Your first appointment is going to consist mainly of finding things you do not like. Don't get discouraged when you hate EVERYTHING you put on. Yes some woman step into one dress, fall in love, and they are done. Is this normal? Not really. You have never worn a wedding dress, how could you possibly know what you will like, or what will look good on your body type?

Here are my tips for finding your gown.

1. DO NOT believe what you read in magazines.
I have a problem, I admit it. I own every issue of every wedding magazine I can get my hands on, and I read them. In many magazines their is a chart. Which shape gown will look best on your body. DO NOT believe these articles. Never fail they are not very accurate.

The basic shapes of a gown are sheath, mermaid, a-line, ballgown.

A sheath gown has a straight skirt. It does not generally have many layers of fabric and does not hug tightly to your body. These gowns are great for tall woman, they are also great for beach weddings because they are generally very light and airy gowns.

A mermaid, fish tail, trumpet gown is one of the more controversial gowns. Some people say if you are short and curvy you can't wear them. WRONG. A mermaid gown hugs your curves, this is definitely the sexiest of all the gowns. It hugs through your waist and hips and then flairs either at your upper thighs are right around your knees. A few things to notice about these gowns-most of them will have fabric that goes one direction on the top and then have a pretty harsh line where the gown begins to flare and then have a different type of fabric or fabric that moves in a different direction on the bottom. This type of mermaid is something you will either love or hate. Designers also design mermaid gowns that have a less harsh difference where the gown begins to flare. The point about these gowns that I cannot stress enough is that if you are curvy you can wear these gowns. They actually look best on very curvy woman. Don't be afraid of the mermaid gown.

A-line gowns are very traditional and very easy to wear. Depending on the designer the A skirt can be fuller or smaller. These gowns flare from the hip so they are very flattering if you are more of a pear shape. Many A-line gowns have some sort of rouching or different fabric on the bodice and then have a plane skirt. Some A-line skirts have pick ups in them, or as they are often called, the wedding cake skirts. Yes pick ups sort of look like fondant on a cake, but I gurantee you that they look very different and actually very elegant when you get them on your body. Remember, you will never know what a gown looks like until it is on.

The Ball gown is perhaps the most traditional shape gown ever. Ball gowns are hard to wear if you are short because they flare from the waist rather than the hip. This makes you look like you have a shorter torso than you do. Most ball gowns have a pretty extreme flare from the waist so you will get a bit of a puff on both sides of the hips. Personally I love ball gowns. They're so classic, they're so gorgeous, but they have to have the right setting. You don't want your gown to overpower your wedding so your venue must be grand enough to compete with your gown. Try at least one ball gown on just for the experience. There are so many layers that most of them stand on their own and there is nothing more girly feeling than twirling around in a giant ball gown.


As I have mentioned before, do not be afraid to try on all different shape and size gowns. Look for something that you will feel comfortable in all day, and most importantly, look for a gown that you can picture yourself in on your wedding day.

He Proposed!!!! Now What?

The moment you've been waiting for your entire life has finally just happened! He proposed!!!!!!! After all the phone calls are made the initial excitement starts to subside you realize just how much work you have ahead of you to plan your dream day.

So where do you begin? Obviously you start with the logistics, where and when. After you have this figured out you can begin your gown search.

Here are the usual questions I get about setting up appointments.

1. Do I need an appointment?
~Yes. Even though most salons are not strictly by appointment only it is in your best interest to have an appointment. This will ensure that you will get a full hour of one on one time with a consultant who can help you find the perfect gown for you.

2. Who do I bring?
~You are going to have to use your personal discretion for this. Do not bring friends who always disagree with you. Bring your closest and most supportive friends and family who understand that in the end the gown you pick is your choice, not a collective decision. I recommend bringing no more than 4 people with you. Any more than 4 it gets very chaotic and confusing. Their are simply too many opinions. The other thing I highly recommend to all my brides is come alone to an appointment. After the first appointments when you have your gowns narrowed down to 3 or 4 come alone or with one very close friend or family member. This way you can see be in the gowns with no one elses opinion but your own. I HIGHLY recommend doing this.

3.Do I need to bring anything?
~Not really. Most salons have strapless bras and shoes they can lend. But if you have your own strapless bra and a pair of shoes that are about the heel height you will be wearing then bring them along. Many brides also bring their spanx along. I also recommend a camera. Not all salons let you take photographs. Some designers are very worried about people photographing their dresses and then trying to duplicate them. Another item to consider bringing is pictures from magazines or the internet of gowns you like. Even if you only like one thing about the dress bring a picture. This way your consultant can point you in the direction of gowns that may fit your personal style.

4.How early in my engagement should I start wedding dress shopping?
~ASAP!!!! If you are ordering a dress it will take anywhere from 4-8 months. This is standard with any designer who you order from. Generally during off season which is March-September the gowns will take 4-5 months. During busy season, October-February they will take at least 6 months. You also have to consider alterations which takes an average of 2 months, again depending on how busy the alterations department will be when your gown arrives.

Next time I'll be talking about what to expect in during your appointment.

Thanks for reading